Summary - 1/15

It's been a good start to the year and I'm hoping to return to considering this a training blog.

I was able to enjoy some nice downtime in Michigan with my wife's family for a late Christmas celebration of the birth of Jesus. I was also able to get a few miles in every day thus far.

Sunday, Jan 1
5.42 Miles @ 271 vert ft
Neighborhood loop with Christine, plus a quick 1.5 mile solo sprint at the end.

Monday, Jan 2
8.02 Miles @ 1318 vert ft
Button Rock Res loop with Jason plus some. Great morning to be out before sunrise and running a trail with someone. I've come to really enjoy my runs with Jason and it's been fun exposing him to a little of the trail, which he's quickly taking a liking to. He told me he bought his first pair of trail shoes recently.

Tuesday, Jan 3
2.23 Miles @ 165 vert ft
Woke up late so this was all I could get in while still managing to read a chapter in the Word, have breakfast and get to work.

Wed, Jan 4
4.01 Miles @ 265 vert ft
Neighborhood Loop

Thurs, Jan 5
1.03 Miles @ 128 vert ft
I actually headed out for a quick mile in jeans in the early morning hours, as I knew I wouldn't have a chance to run with cramming a full day of work into a half day plus flying to Michigan. This was a test to see if I'm really trying to get a minimum of 1 mile in daily. So far, so good.....I think!?!?

Fri, Jan 6
4.49 Miles @ 209 vert ft
Allendale, MI
Tired and sluggish from traveling and getting in the bed late. Cruised up to Grand Valley University from my Sister-In-Laws house. Nice weather for Michigan standards!

Sat, Jan 7
9.28 Miles
Ludington MI Beach + School Forest
Headed out with Christine for a loop around her parents neighborhood and then by the beach. Christine loves the mountains, but really misses the water. I can understand why. Lake Michigan is definitely beautiful. Christine dropped off at her parents house and I continued on to make a loop at the School Forest which is where Christine ran cross country. It was fun being there and thinking about her running here so many years before we knew each other.

Sun, Jan 8
7.02 Miles
Ludington School Forest

Mon, Jan 9
7.42 Miles
Ludington School Forest

Tues, Jan 10
4.0 Miles @ 702 vert ft + Family Hike 2.53 Miles @ 630 vert ft
Ludington School Forest + Ludington State Park
We've made a Christmas tradition of Cross-Country Skiing when we're in Ludington each year, although this year there was zero snow. Seriously, is this really January in Michigan. We settled for a short hike.

Wed, Jan 11
4.0 Miles @ 200 vert ft
Late night miles after getting up at 3:30 AM MST, getting delayed in the airport, and going straight to work. Got some miles in none-the-less in 11 degree weather.

Thurs, Jan 12
2.29 Miles @ 133 vert ft
Neighborhood loop....not very motivated.

Fri, Jan 13
3.91 Miles @ 292 vert ft
Early AM run with Jason

Sat, Jan 14
AM - 7.67 Miles @ 2220 vert ft
Set off to do a loop around Lumpy Ridge in Rocky Mtn National Park. Once I headed around the backside, I was post-holing and had trouble finding the trail. After slogging a bit, a turned around. This will be a great loop without the snow. Looking forward to giving it another try in the Spring. My VP called when I was almost back to the trailhead and needed me to send a report. I cut my day short and headed back down the mtn and get some work done.

PM - 4.74 Miles @ 1346 vert ft
Button Rock Res
After sending the report, I was itching for more miles so I headed to Button Rock for a loop.

Sun, Jan 15
4.37 Miles @ 1486 vert ft
Mt. Sanitas Loop
I headed to Boulder today and picked up a pair of the New Balance MT110's. At Boulder Running Co, they only had sizes 10 and 11. When I handed them back saying they didn't fit, an older gentlemen told me a guy had just returned a 10.5 and he'd give me 15% off if I was interested. Heck yeah I'm interested. The guy told me he was keeping them for himself but gave me the break. A big thanks to whoever brought them back.

As for the shoe itself, I'm very impressed. My wife and I both went through a number of the MT100's, really loving the shoe. I was excited about the MT101, although I was really disappointed in them. I personally liked the 100 much better. When I ran Longs Peak last year in early Summer, the Home Stretch was wet with snow. I was fearing for my life, clinching to the wall as the 101's were so slick I had virtually no purchase. I can already tell the 110 is a completely different shoe. The upper feels much more like the 100 although there's more stability in the heel, more room in the toe box and the material looks to be more durable. The 4 mm drop seems to be perfect. As for the outsole.....I cruised up a muddy, slick, icey, not to mention technical Mt. Sanitas with ease. Overall, I'm really excited about logging some quality trail miles in them.

2011 YTD:
Total Miles 82.43
Total Vertical 13,449

Here are a few pictures from the beginning of the year:

Ludington Michigan School Forest

Soft Leaf Covered Singletrack - School Forest

Ludington Beach

Button Rock Reservoir - Lyons Colorado

St. Vrain

I can't help but post a picture of my 2 favorite people - they're gearing up for a baby-jogger run

The Year In Review

As we enter a new year, one can't help but tally the numbers and reflect on what has been accomplished and even where one fell short.

Summary:
Children Born = 1
Total Miles of Running = 1735
Total Days of Running = 273
Mileage Per Running Day = 6.36
Longest Run = 26.3 Miles
Vertical Gain = 195,477 ft
Most Vertical Day = 5,959 ft

This was actually the first year that I've tracked most of my miles and vertical gain. Even though my total mileage was minimal compared to most of the training blogs I follow, I feel that I was more dedicated solely to running this year than any single activity in any single year of my life.

I was pretty consistent throughout the year, logging 883 miles the first 6 months while slipping to 852 for the second. I was please with the following graph, showing a slight improvement in my average pace per run throughout the year.


Overall, I would consider the year of 2011 both encouraging and a learning experience. Encouraging from the fact that, despite my racing times being less than stellar, I feel confident I can improve upon these. I had glimpses of my potential in training runs and know that, given a more disciplined approach, I can accomplish my goals. It was a year of learning that I can devote myself to a physical activity that rids myself of technical gear and complexity and boils things down to simply placing one foot in front of the other. And I've learned that I can actually enjoy it!

That brings me to 2012. I have absolutely no idea what the year will bring, but I'm certain it will be interesting. First of all, I've been given the opportunity to step into an interim position at work. It doesn't come without it's challenges as I basically have 6 months to "perform" or I'll basically be "re-assigned." A re-assignment doesn't factor into my 2012 plans, so I'm going to give it my all. That said, beside the fact that I've been deeply hooked by the running bug, it also fits well into my busy schedule of balancing being a good husband and father with a demanding career. Running has to be the most efficient of activities for me at this stage in my life.

As far as running goes I plan to do another marathon. My primary goal would be to break the magic 3:10, but I plan to train for a 3 hr. My plan will be to go about it a bit differently this year. I hope to commit to a half marathon in the early spring to gauge my fitness and ramp up for an early summer marathon, possibly doing the Steamboat for a second year. By the end of the summer, I hope to be ready for a 50K. This is somewhat of a bucket list thing that I would like to check off in 2012.

The key for me is to actually commit to these races. Sign up, drop the $, and put it on the calendar. One of the small commitments I'd like to make is the one this guy did a year ago. Maybe these small goals are the keys to the larger ones.

Cheers to 2012!